


The Gift

by Embarassedbutkinky



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Family, Family Bonding, Family Secrets, Gen, Halloween, Scary, Very mild Truetn, halloweenie2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27192091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Embarassedbutkinky/pseuds/Embarassedbutkinky
Summary: Happy Halloween! Bulla Briefs thinks she is entirely un-scareable, but there are some secrets her family has been hiding from her. On Halloween night things begin to go wrong at Capsule Corp, and she won't be able to rely on anyone else to save her...My submission for Halloweenie2020, based on the first prompt 'Masquerade'!
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta, Trunks Briefs/Son Goten
Comments: 32
Kudos: 83
Collections: Halloweenie 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blackswans22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackswans22/gifts).



> So you may notice this fic is a bit similar to a particular episode of a particular show I was inspired by... ;) I'll say which one in the end notes. Meanwhile I'll be posting all of this fic today, as it is best read in one sitting, I'm just going to break it up a little for ease of reading's sake. 
> 
> Thanks so much to Blackswan22 for helping me with betaing and having great suggestions for making the whole thing flow better!
> 
> EBK

_ Halloween Morning _

Vegeta's bare feet slapped against the hallway of Capsule Corp, the only sound in an otherwise resting house. He was always the first up on Saturdays by hours, save for the rare occasions he'd drag his son out of his bed for early morning training. He'd avoided that over the last few months since Goten had moved in, a bit reluctant to see more than he wanted but completely unwilling to admit that fear.

Instead he'd just trained alone in the Gravity Room, then returned to the master bedroom to shower in the private bathroom which he shared with his wife. The engineer in question had been still snoring contentedly, which she was quite certain she didn't do, thank you very much.

Vegeta walked into the kitchen, hair still slightly damp and a towel slung around his neck. A full breakfast was a luxury he'd not indulged in often before his time on Earth; most mornings began violently, and he'd wait until the dust had settled to gorge on whatever local food (or just locals) he was presented. He liked to imagine he could still return to that rough life, in theory. In practice, he'd grown very fond of a plate full of meat and syrup after his morning workout.

He flipped on the coffee maker; if anything would wake Bulma up on Saturday morning it would be the smell of her damn expensive custom roasts. It percolated on the counter, adding a new sound to the home.

Vegeta opened the fridge and gathered his normal eggs, bacon, and sausage, laying enough out on the counter to feed a small army and turning on the griddle of their stove. He perked an eyebrow, hoping it was enough to feed everyone. Worse case scenario, the boys went hungry. They would be going shopping later anyway.

He cracked the first eggs and tossed a good helping of meats on the griddle. The smell of sizzling food would be enough to wake the rest of the house, thanks to their Half Saiyan genes. He laid out his own plate, poured himself some juice, and opened the pantry to find his syrup.

As soon as he opened the door, a large being in a hockey mask screamed in his face, brandishing a blade dramatically above his head.

"Move, Kakarot, I'm hungry."

The supposed axemurder's shoulders slumped as Vegeta pushed past him to grab his syrup. "Aw, come on, Vegeta, I've been hiding here for like an hour. I hid my power level and everything."

"How you manage to make so much damn noise even  _ with _ Instant Transmission is beyond me," Vegeta said flatly. "But the mask is an aesthetic improvement."

"It's Halloween, Vegeta," Goku said, drifting toward the stove to sniff at the sizzling bacon.

"I've been on Earth for twenty five years, Kakarot," Vegeta said, swatting him away from the food. "You know that I know what day it is."

"I love Halloween," Goku said. "I didn't hear about it until I was older, but you get to eat all kinda' stuff. When Gohan was little Chichi dressed him up like a pumpkin."

"Congratulations. Go home."

They heard movement in the hallway, and Goku quickly hid against the wall by the door, tensing himself to jump out at whoever was unfortunate enough to be awake. He jumped in front of the door at the last possible moment, holding the blade above him.

The ten year old girl looked up at him and yawned. "Good morning, Kakarot."

Goku sighed. "Hey, Bulla."

Bulla was already dressed for the day, something that had become a bit of a challenge for her logistically. The youngest Briefs was small for her age, but very bright, leading to a clashing of her preferred style of dress and the clothes that were actually made in her size. She pulled a step stool over to the counter and climbed up onto it, grabbing her favorite mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee before sitting at the table.

"Morning, Daddy. What time are you and Mom leaving today?"

"Your mother said three," Vegeta said, snorting. "So I assume she will be ready to leave by four."

"Where are ya going?" Goku asked. "Halloween party?"

"Hardly, Kakarot. Capsule Corp is launching a new subsidiary in the north. Frankly it's absurd it's taken them so long to do it. It was something about Bulma's father refusing to go above Nikkitown. Doesn't matter now, she's in charge now that he's retired. Bulma is going to supervise the new branch for a few weeks, I'm only going for the opening event." He rolled his eyes. "I only attend one event a year as per our arrangement. She saved this one up to use in October."

"But you have to go tonight?" Goku asked, sitting down next to Bulla. "Who's taking you trick-or-treating, Bulla?"

She sipped her coffee. "Meh. Not interested. I have plenty of candy here."

"What, you don't like Halloween either?"

She grabbed the sleeve of his costume. "I  _ love _ Halloween. Or I did, way back when I could get scared. I overdid it," she sighed with the wistful regret of an eighty year old considering past mistakes. "Now I can't be scared. I'm immune. It's tragic."

"Gee, that's a shame, Bulla," Goku said, reaching into his pockets. He held a jar out to her, slowly unscrewing the lid. "Maybe this will make you feel better..." he jumped up and snapped the lid off, and a few hundred small rubber creatures poured over her and the table. "Ahh! Worms!"

Bulla stared unblinkingly as the toys bounced off her skin. She shook her head and smiled sadly at the Saiyan. "Thanks for trying Kakarot, but the God of Destruction was my babysitter. You're going to have to do better than that."

"Get those off my table!" Vegeta snapped. "Disgusting."

"They're fake, Vegeta."

They heard muffled voices down the hall and Goku took his place hiding by the doorframe again. He jumped out in front of the two young men, and one of them screamed and fell to the ground with a sweeping of lavender hair.

"What the hell?" Trunks asked, blinking up from the floor. He was still in thin pajamas, his hair tied up back from his panicked face.

Goten chuckled, reaching down to give Trunks a hand up. "You're such a scaredy-cat. Hey, Dad. Happy Halloween," he nodded at Goku.

"I don't get scared," Trunks grumbled as he flopped into a seat at the table, dropping his head into his arms. "I just startle easily because my reflexes are so quick."

"Yeah, that's probably it," Goten smirked, pouring them both a cup of coffee.

"What are you guys gonna do for Halloween?" Goku asked.

"We're just gonna stay here this year, Dad," Goten said, patting his father on the back. "We'll pass out candy."

"You won't have anything scary?"

"Maybe we can watch a horror movie or something?" Trunks suggested. "Mom and Dad won't be home. You guys wanna' order some pizza, make a night of it?"

Bulla shrugged. "Sure. You're funny during horror movies. Your 'amazing reflexes' made you spill a whole bowl of popcorn last time."

Trunks stuck his tongue out at her good-naturedly. Vegeta and Goten carried the huge plates of sausage and bacon to the table and sat them down, Vegeta taking the largest helping and his kids and Goten grabbing the food after him.

They heard the last Briefs padding her way down the hallway in slippers, and once more Goku jumped up to hide behind the doorway. Vegeta raised his eyebrow, but said nothing.

Bulma stepped into the kitchen and Goku jumped in front of her.

"Boo!... Ow!" He winced as she automatically backhanded him across the face. "Why'd you hit me?"

Vegeta smirked.

"Goku?" She asked, pulling his mask up. "If you're going to be threatening people before they have coffee, you can expect to get slapped," she dropped into a chair, stretching back in her fluffy pink bathrobe. "Some good child, bring Mommy caffeine."

Bulla bounced over to the counter to pour her mother the last of the coffee. Goku grumbled, slyly stealing a few pieces of his son's breakfast. "It's Halloween, Bulma. You're supposed to scare people."

"As long as you accept the consequences," she shrugged. She kissed Bulla's head as the girl brought her a mug. "What are going to do for Halloween, Princess? Are you dressing as H.H. Holmes again?"

"Nah," Bulla shrugged. "No point in costumes when no one is going to see them."

Bulma pushed the girl's hair out of her face. "Aw, I'm sorry, Honey. I hope you get the socks scared off you again one day."

"Me too, Mom," she sighed. "Me too."

\---------------


	2. Chapter 2

_ Halloween Night 4:15 PM _

"You wear that dress a lot," Bulla said simply from where she sat on her mother's bed, watching her apply her makeup and do up her hair. "Is it your favorite?"

"Nope," Bulma responded, adjusting the collar of the simple blue gown. "It's Daddy's favorite."

"Did he say so?"

"He's never said a single word about it, but whenever I wear it he tries to cover me up with my shawl."

"But it's not low cut or anything."

"Exactly. He just likes the way it looks, so he tries to hide me in it. You have to read between the lines with Saiyans, Bulla."

The girl hopped off the bed and approached her vanity. "Can I play with the cheap ones?"

"Go for it."

Bulla grabbed the cheap lipstick which she was fairly certain her mother only bought for her daughter to goof off with, and started to rub it on her cheeks.

"Do you have powder?" The girl asked. "Maybe I'll wear a costume tonight after all."

"What will you be?"

The girl puffed out her lipstick covered cheeks. "Chiaotzu."

Her mother giggled with her, dabbing the tip of her nose with mascara.

"Bulma," they heard Vegeta's voice coming down the hall. "Your father called again. He won't stop ranting about that 'Normand' fool--"

He rounded the corner, caught sight of Bulla and snapped his jaw shut. Bulla immediately looked at her mother, catching her tight 'shut-up' face. The girl's eyes lit up with forbidden knowledge. She hopped from the vanity to run and stand by her father.

"Who's Normand? Why is Grandpa ranting about him?"

Bulma quickly followed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No one, Bulla, why don't you go play in your room?"

"Because then I can't hear you talking about Normand."

"He's no one, Honey, just an old friend of Grandpa's. He's… worried about him."

"Why? Is he sick?"

"Uh… yes, sort of. But you don't need to be worried, okay? Now go find Trunks while we keep getting ready for our gala."

"Trunks went to the store with Goten. You're just going to keep talking about Normand when I'm gone," Bulla grumbled.

"Nope, I'm going to make out with Daddy, so unless you want a front row ticket--"

"Ew," Bulla grimaced, not really believing her but walking to the door anyway. She turned around to make one final point, but stopped suddenly, looking at the mirror of the vanity. "What’s that?"

Her parents turned around. 

Behind them, on what had a pristinely clear mirror a moment ago, was a black and white photograph. Bulla took a step forward, trying to get a better look at it.

Bulma blinked, then quickly ran forward and ripped the picture down. "Bulla, did you…" then she shook her head, "no, you've been with me the whole time."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "It's probably Kakarot, trying to scare us again like he did this morning. He probably Instant Transmitted in when no one was looking. What a child."

"Who’s in the picture?" Bulla asked.

"I don't know, Honey,” Bulma said, too quickly. “Now scoot out so we can get ready, we're already late."

"Shocking," Vegeta muttered.

“Is that Normand?” Bulla asked, trying to peek at the photograph in her mother’s hand.

She tore it up. “Bulla, drop it,” she said firmly.

Bulla gave up, rolling her eyes and wiping the makeup off her face as she headed towards her room. Halfway there she caught sight of two figures approaching the building through the window, and she grinned wildly, knowing who it must be. She ran out of the front door to see Trunks and Goten walking casually as they chatted and held hands, carrying a few shopping bags between them. She crouched down to prepare and raised her still mild power level as high as she could to get their attention.

Both of their heads swiveled to see her, and she saw them smile. Trunks shook his head and laughed, taking the bags from Goten, continuing to walk towards the house and leaving the Son alone to play Bulla's favorite game. Goten crouched down too, still a good seventy yards from her.

In a sudden moment both of them took off, sprinting towards each other. She knew damn well he wasn't running as fast as he could, but it was fast enough to be exhilarating, and they met in seconds. He grabbed her hands and she felt her legs leave the ground as he started spinning, swinging her around in wide circles, moving faster and faster.

Bulla laughed loudly, without a hint of fear. She knew he wouldn't make a mistake; she figured Goten's hands were probably safer than most rollercoasters. More importantly, Trunks had been hogging him all week. She'd been growing close to Goten since she was born, long before he and her brother decided to try for more than a friendship, and dammit she deserved partial custody of his time.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah!"

With one final spin Goten released her feet, and Bulla went flying through the air at speeds that may have been dangerous if she wasn't half Saiyan. She giggled but kept her mouth closed, having learned her lesson about bugs in her teeth a few times before. She flipped through the air, not even trying to be aerodynamic, watching buildings and streets whiz past below her. No one paid it much mind; she was far from the first Saiyan child the townspeople had seen shooting through the air, and she wouldn't be the last.

She finally started descending, watching a patch of dirt and rock grow closer and closer to her, still giggling from the force of the air. She heard a rushing sound and threw her arms out, like she was going to do a belly flop onto solid ground. In the blink of an eye Goten raced into sight at impossible speeds, coming to a stop just below her to catch her. She threw her arms around his neck as he scooped her out of the air with ease. He started running again immediately, carrying her effortlessly back towards Capsule Corp.

"What do you think? New record?" He asked

"No way, you threw me  _ way _ farther last month. You must be slacking on arm day."

He scoffed in mock appallation. "Whatever Princess Stick Arms. Maybe you got heavier."

"I wish," she grumbled.

"I got my growth spurt way after ten," he assured her, already setting her down on the doorstep of their home. "I was as short as you at like fourteen."

She rolled her eyes, fairly convinced Goten had always been a giant. They found Trunks sitting at the coffee table, unpacking the sacks he and Goten had brought in.

"What did you get?" Bulla asked, coming over to hop onto his back.

"Halloween supplies," he announced. "Candy corn, pies, fall scented candles, caramel apples, some glow sticks, and the scariest movie of all time…" he stood up dramatically, covering the front of it. " _ Insidious _ ."

Bulla raised an eyebrow. "What, the old one?"

"The  _ terrifying _ one," Trunks shivered. "I once watched twenty minutes of it when Mom and Dad were out and I had nightmares for a week."

Goten and Bulla shared a knowing look.

"I am  _ not _ a scaredy-cat," he insisted. "It's horrifying. Plus it was one of the only PG-13 ones we could find."

"You're staying up with him when he has nightmares," Bulla warned Goten.

Goten laughed. "I got us covered on the  _ actually _ scary front, Bulla."

Trunks' face fell. "Goten you  _ didn't _ . We said we wouldn't buy it."

Goten grabbed one of the leftover bags. "No, we said we wouldn't buy it from that particular store. I found another one across the street."

"What is it?" Bulla asked, intrigued.

"I don't want one in the house," Trunks grumbled. "They just invite trouble."

"What  _ is _ it?" Bulla asked again.

Goten held up the game dramatically with a flourishing 'ta-da!' Her face dropped.

"A Ouija Board?" Bulla sighed. "I was excited for a moment there.

"Oh, it'll be fun," Goten insisted.

"It's not a toy, Goten," Trunks insisted.

"It was literally next to a Mister Potato Head."

The house phone rang.

"Bulla can you get that?" Trunks asked. "I'm going to get the pies in the fridge for later on after we have dinner."

She nodded, heading over to the wall it was mounted on and having to reach above her head to answer. "Capsule Corp, Bulla speaking."

"Bulla?" A familiar voice said on the other line. "Has your mother left yet?"

"Hi Grandpa," Bulla smiled. "No, Mom and Daddy are getting ready to--"

"Bulla, you have to listen to me very carefully," her grandfather said, sounding uncharacteristically frantic. "Your mother won't listen to reason, no matter how often I try to convince her. She has to call this gala off, call off the whole damn thing. The new branch of Capsule Corp  _ cannot _ open above Nikkitown. Do you understand?"

"Uh…" Bulla blinked. The grown ups never involved her in business discussions, and they certainly didn't ask for her help. Just as she was thinking up a reply her mother walked in, dressed to the nines and carrying a clutch purse at her side. She caught sight of Bulla holding the phone and grabbed it from her, holding to her ear.

"Dad? You have to  _ stop _ calling here. No, I mean it this time. You're being-- No,  _ you _ listen, you are a man of science, I am appalled that you let this bother you for so long. That's enough. Are you listening to…" she growled, hanging up. Bulma reached around and unplugged the phone from the wall.

Bulla stared at the phone. She had never seen her mother and grandfather fight, even once in her life. They'd disagree on products once in a while, but always genially to make the projects better. This was uncharted territory.

"Hey," she called out so the boys could hear her too, "no using this phone tonight. If Grandpa swings by don't let him in."

"What's going on?" Trunks asked, coming to stand in the doorway.

"Mind your business, Boy," Vegeta snapped, coming in behind Bulma. "The old fool is just--"

"Vegeta!" Bulma warned.

He snorted. "It's nothing. Are you finally ready, Woman?"

Bulma nodded, bending down to kiss Bulla on the cheek. "Be good for your brother. Daddy will be back tomorrow, and I'll come back this weekend to visit. I should only be up there a few weeks."

"Okay, Mom" Bulla muttered, eyes still narrowed suspiciously.

Bulma hugged Trunks and leaned up to kiss him on his forehead. "Keep her out of trouble."

"Okay, Mom," Trunks agreed.

She chased Goten who tried to back up several feet, then swatted him on the arm with her purse and kissed his forehead too. "You keep  _ him _ out of trouble."

"Okay, Bulma," he chuckled.

"Yes, yes, it's all very touching, let's  _ go _ ," Vegeta snapped, taking her arm and leading her towards the door.

"The credit card is on the counter!" She called back to them as he ushered her out the door. "Have fun!"

The door swung shut and Goten cracked his neck. "Can we wait a couple hours before the movie? I wanted to get some training done inside the Gravity Room. We should watch it in the dark anyway."

"Sounds good to me," Trunks nodded. "I was working on some new projects earlier anyway."

Bulla agreed, wandering towards her room to distract herself for a few hours. She shut her door behind her, mind still racing from the odd conduct of her mother and grandfather. She opened her laptop, spending a while trying to distract herself. Finally, she had to try.

Bulla opened her webpage to a search engine, typing in the forbidden name she'd heard. 'Normand'. There were way too many results, and nothing that looked helpful. She tried another search, this time with 'Normand', 'Briefs', and 'Capsule Corp'. A single article popped up immediately.

_ The Secret Founder: Capsule Corp Conspiracy?  _

_ By Bunker Fritts _

She opened it.

_ Dr.Briefs of Capsule Corporation fame declined again today to answer questions about his one-time partner Normand Quesic. This reporter has attempted from every angle to get mainstream media outlets to ask for the hard facts, but as usual they remain suspiciously silent. Have the other 'journalists' in this city all fallen into Briefs' deep pockets? Although we cannot speculate on that, we can report the facts of the unsolved case as it stands. _

Bulla snorted, but continued.

_ The facts are, Normand Quesic was present at every stage of the beginning of Capsule Corp. Quesic, born in the northern province on the outskirts of Jingle City, met Dr.Briefs while in university in West City. They opened their business together; there is no denying that Normand's signature is on their business licence. In fact, it was his home they put up for collateral for their starting loan. His name is on half of the early prototypes for Capsule Corp's original products. So why have you never heard of him? _

_ Because you're not supposed to. Only five years into their very profitable partnership, Normand Quesic disappeared. He had no family, no close friends other than Briefs himself and Briefs new wife Panchy. He simply stopped attending meetings, his name's dropped off of blueprints, and to this day, his name is never mentioned by senior staff at Capsule Corp. The largest company in the world possibly, certainly the richest, has skeletons in its closet that we refuse to let rest without further examination… _

_ \--------------------------- _

_ Halloween Night 6:05 PM _

Bulla was still scrolling down the webpage when a sound broke the silence of the house. She heard Goten yell something, and her heart jumped into her throat. She ran to her door just in time to hear him yell it again.

"Trunks, help!"


	3. Chapter 3

Bulla raced towards the Gravity Room, but she was no match for her brother who shot through the house so fast he passed by her, a look of panic on his face. The sound of Goten pounding on the door could be heard down the hall.

The Gravity Room door was still shut tight. Trunks grabbed the handle then hissed in pain and flinched back, shaking his hand. He stopped Bulla from touching it, pushing her back slightly. “Ten, are you okay?”

“I think the room is malfunctioning,” Goten said through the door, breathing too hard. “I can’t get the door open from here, and it's  _ so _ hot in here. I…. I can’t stand being trapped, Trunks. Please get me out?”

Bulla frowned. She had a tendency to think of all the men in her life as perfect physically, completely infallible. Hell, she considered her father the most powerful being in the universe (although perhaps Kakarot was a close second.) The hint of terror in Goten’s voice was unsettling.

“I’ll get you out, Ten, you’re okay,” Trunks promised. He pulled off his shirt, wrapping his hands in cloth before he grabbed the handle and started pulling.

“Please, Trunks?” Goten begged.

“Just rip it open,” Bulla said. She took a step closer to the door to try to help, but she could feel the extreme heat emanating from it.

“I'm trying,” Trunks heaved. “I’m just… sorry, I just feel drained today. Ten, can you grab it from the other side and help?”

After another few heaves from both sides, something in the door snapped, and it slid open. Goten fell forward into Trunks’ arms. He caught him easily, lowering him down to the floor and moving his sweaty hair back from his face. Goten’s clothes were soaked, his face was red, and he was breathing like he’d run a marathon. Bulla cast a nervous look at the overheated Gravity Room, wondering just how much worse he would be if he wasn’t Half Saiyan.

“Are you okay, Ten?”

“Yeah,” he panted. “Just… really hot.”

“Go grab him some water, Bulla, he might have heat stroke.”

She ran to the kitchen, digging through the fridge while her mind raced. The Gravity Room malfunctioned? Her Mom had made that room herself, and fine tuned it for years for her father. It didn't just  _ malfunction.  _ She grabbed a bottle of water and ran back towards the Gravity Room.

Goten smiled weakly at her when she handed it to him, thanking her.

"Should we go to the hospital?" Bulla asked nervously.

"No," Goten said quickly. "I’m okay, really,” he said, flexing his red hands.

"No one goes in this Gravity Room again until Mom gets back, okay?" Trunks warned them. "Something must be wrong with it. I can take a look but I don't want you guys in danger because of my amateur handiwork."

"No arguments here," Goten chuckled at him. "Hey, let's just order dinner and get set up for the movie, alright? I'm hungry."

"Okay," Trunks agreed worriedly, handing Bulla his cell phone. "But you take it easy tonight, Ten. Don't get off the couch unless you absolutely have to, and sip that water. Let's go get you cleaned up. Bulla, can you order the pizza?"

"Sure," she nodded, still somewhat dazed. She wasn't  _ afraid _ , of course. 

\------------------

By the time their pizzas arrived the sun had gone down, and unexpected storm clouds had taken its place. The three of them congregated in the living room, popping in the movie that had once given Trunks so many nightmares and switching out the lights to try to make it scarier. Trunks sat on one end of the couch and had insisted Goten lay longways across the rest of it, taking sips of water as he cooled down. Bulla had plopped into a huge armchair, eating calmly as the tension mounted on the screen.

The hero in the movie crept down a long hallway in his home, and suddenly a dark figure was behind him. Trunks jumped dramatically (for the twelfth time), covering his mouth. Goten looked up at him from where he was lounged across Trunks' lap.

"You're going to accidentally elbow me in the face, Dude. Calm down."

Trunks pointed at the screen. "It's not my fault! Whose stupid idea was this anyway?"

"Yours," Bulla informed him happily.

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Never again."

Trunks' terror didn't seem to get better as the movie progressed. He was jumpier each time the music sounded, and once he grabbed Goten's hand he didn't let go.

"Dude, you're gonna break my hand," Goten chuckled.

"Deal with it," Trunks whispered, eyes glued to the screen.

Just before the demon popped out. The television switched off.

They all sat there a moment, wondering if maybe it was a trick the movie had thrown at them, but it was definitely off.

"What happened?" Goten asked.

Trunks approached the television and tried to turn it on. "I don't know. Maybe it died on us. It was getting a bit obsolete."

Goten reached over to turn on the lamp next to the couch. It clicked uselessly. "Oh. It's not the TV, the power went out. Must be the storm."

The two Briefs stared at him.

"What?"

"The power  _ can't _ go out," Bulla said.

"We have generators," Trunks said. "Our  _ backup _ generators have backup generators. Mom didn't want to take any chances, the whole place is electrical. Most of the doors won't even open without power."

Goten paled slightly. "But… what about the outside doors. They'll open right?"

"No, they're on the grid too. If we have no power they lock down." Trunks rubbed his chin. "First the Gravity Room and now this. Maybe there's a bug in the system."

"I… don't like that," Goten said, shaking his head slowly. "Trunks, you know I don't like it, I need to have room to move around. Is the room getting smaller? Can I fit through a window? I'm gonna try…" he moved to sit up.

"Don't freak out, Ten," Trunks said, making him lay back down. "I'm literally an engineer, remember? I'll go down to the generators and get them working again. You are  _ not _ trapped, okay?"

Goten nodded unconvincingly. "Right. Plenty of room. Plenty of air."

"That's right," Trunks nodded. "I'll be back in just a minute." He leaned in to mumble to his sister. "Stay with him, he needs to take it easy, but he's super claustrophobic."

She nodded dutifully. Trunks headed through the long halls to make his way down to their basement, and she hopped up to sit on the coffee table. "Hey, Goten, maybe we can play a game?"

"A game?" He asked, still watching the hallway where Trunks had disappeared with a look of panic.

"Yeah. It's still Halloween without power. I can light some candles, and maybe we can try the Ouija Board?"

"Um…" he drummed his fingers against his pants. "Maybe later..."

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

The metallic clang of someone rapping on the front door echoed down the hall. They rarely ever heard that; they had a good doorbell, and most of the people who came over knew them well enough to just waltz in anyway.

Bulla and Goten looked towards the door, both wide eyed.

"Who is that?" Goten asked after a beat.

"Just… probably just trick-or-treaters," Bulla said bravely.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he relaxed a bit. "Can you go tell them we can't open the door?"

"By myself?"

He nodded guiltily."Uh, if you don't mind. Sorry, Kid, I just feel really drained," he said, rubbing his face. “I don’t know if it was the heat in the Gravity Room or what, but…”

“Yeah, I can get it,” Bulla nodded, leaving him on the couch to walk alone down the hallway.

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

_ Persistent kids _ , she thought to herself. That made sense, a house this big probably looked like it had a lot of candy.  _ Except, we don't usually get any trick-or-treaters because they think we're just a headquarters _ , she thought.  _ And all our lights are off, so why bother? _

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

Bulla was right in front of the door when it sounded this time. She stood up to her full height, planting her feet on the floor and looking all the Saiyan Princess she was. "I'm sorry, we can't give you any candy right now. You will have to try again later."

There was no response, at first. And then, louder,  _ Knock, Knock, Knock. _

Maybe the door was too thick for them to hear her. She raised her voice. "Our doors are malfunctioning, I can't open them right now!" She called. "Come back later!"

The knocking was louder, more like an angry banging. More than three this time, the knocker started a continuous assault against the door.  _ Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…  _

Now she was getting annoyed. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she crossed her arms. "Who's there? Who can't take no for an answer?"

The banging stopped, suddenly. She slowly moved closer to the door, pressing her ear against it. Had whoever it was gotten bored? Something wet touched her sock.

Bulla gasped slightly and stepped back. Something black was oozing through the bottom of the door.

"Bulla? Are you okay?" Goten called from far away..

"I… yeah, of course I am," she stuttered slightly. "But there's something wet coming through the door."

"Isn't it air tight?"

"It's supposed to be," she muttered, watching the black ooze make its way across the threshold. It creeped closer and closer to her, pushing past the fibres in the carpet in a slow march.

A hand touched her shoulder.

Bulla jumped slightly, spinning around. Trunks stood there, head cocked to the side. "What's going on, Bulla?"

"Um…" she muttered, pointing to the ooze.

Trunks stepped forward, touching the strange substance. He sniffed it on his hand. "It's old oil."

"Oil?" She asked. "From the door?"

He shook his head. "No, that makes no sense. It's computerized, it'd be like a laptop leaking oil. It just wouldn't happen."

"Trunks?" Goten called. "Is that you? Are the lights back on?"

Trunks winced, walking in to talk to him. "Stay  _ calm _ , but the generators don't seem to be fixable. It's like five or six parts broke on them all at once. We have spare parts, but not enough."

Goten's eyes went wide. "Trunks, get the door open."

"It's not a big deal, okay? We weren't going anywhere tonight, and there's enough air, food, and water in here for the three of us to live for  _ decades _ if we needed to. When Dad gets back tomorrow he'll just have to run into town and get us some parts, I can fix it.”

"Open the door, Trunks."

"I can't, Goten."

"You're a  _ Super Saiyan _ . Just rip it open."

"This isn’t the same as the Gravity Room door, it’s part of the main infrastructure. If I break it open it'd do thousands of dollars of damage to the system. I can't just--"

" _ Please _ , Trunks?" Goten asked. "I won't sleep all night if I'm trapped."

Trunks sighed. "Okay. Move, Bulla."

Bulla backed up from the door, watching her brother come to stand in the puddle of oil. He grabbed the handle, braced himself slightly, then pulled.

Nothing.

Bulla frowned.

Trunks looks surprised, then with a flash she saw him turn into a Super Saiyan. He grabbed the door again, and he pulled. Hard.

Nothing happened.

"Is it open?" Goten asked.

Trunks tried again. "Uh, Ten… I can't get it open."

"What are you talking about?" Goten asked. "You're a Saiyan, just--"

"I'm  _ trying _ , Goten," Trunks said. "I'm pulling as hard as I can. It's not opening."

"Bullshit," Goten scoffed.

"I watched him," Bulla said. "It's stuck or something." She approached the door, grabbing the handle, and channeled all of her considerable strength into ripping the door off of it's hinges. It didn't budge.

"Capsule Corp products deliver, I guess," Trunks muttered. "Maybe Mom reinforced the doors when she found out how strong Saiyans are."

Goten groaned in the other room. “If I wasn’t so tired I could help… what’s wrong with me?”

Trunks went into to sit with him, and Bulla followed after him, discarding her oil-covered socks. Goten put his forehead in his hands, taking deep breaths.

"It'll be fine, Ten, I promise. Why don't we just a window so you can breathe some fresh air? OrI can call Mom and Dad if it makes you feel better."

Goten shook his head. "No… don't bother them just for me. If you say we're safe I believe you. I just need to take my mind off of this."

“It’s going to be okay,” Bulla said, patting Goten on his arm. “It’s just a door,” she said, trying to convince herself as well.

"Pie then?" Trunks suggested to them both. "Why don't we have some more to eat and tell stories or something. That'll distract you. Ten."

Goten nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

With candles illuminating the living room, their circumstances were a bit brighter. Trunk had pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge, and he and Goten were taking turns drinking from it. Bulla stuffed her face with candy, the one Halloween joy she knew she could still indulge in.

"And then," Goten continued, dramatically, using his hands for emphasis, "the car with the headless ghost in it exploded."

Trunks tried to stifle a chuckle and failed.

"What?"

"Goten, all your scary stories end with explosions," Bulla laughed.

"What? No they don't."

Trunks held up his fingers to count through them. "The 'evil cellphone', the 'weird old woman', and the 'haunted horse' all exploded tonight."

"I loved the haunted horse," Bulla said reassuringly. "I still don't even know what that  _ means _ ."

"Briefs are mean," Goten grumbled, taking another drink of wine. "Somebody else tell a story, then."

"I'm all out," Bulla said.

"I've got one more," Trunks said, "but I want to wait until midnight. It's creepier that way."

"Let's play with this then," Goten said, setting the Ouija board on the table. "We paid for it, we might as well try it."

"I want no part in it," Trunks said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, don't be a stick in the mud. It's just a game."

"It'll be fun, Trunks," Bulla said, not mentioning that maybe, perhaps, she wasn't in the mood to play either.

Goten pulled a few of the candles closer, setting the board and the planchette in front of them. Outside the storm seemed to swell, and the heavy rain began to beat against the walls of the large home. "We're all supposed to put two fingers on it, then we ask questions and see if you have ghosts."

"The building's like thirty years old, and we're the only ones who've lived here," Trunks smiled, shaking his head as he sat next to him. 

Bulla came to sit across the table, reaching over to join them. "Just don't cheat."

"We open it by saying 'Hello'," Goten said, reading the instructions that came with the box. 

They all moved it to 'Hello'.

"Okay," Goten said. "Now we ask if anything wants to speak to us--"

"No, you're supposed to ask if any  _ ghosts _ want to speak to us. Or else anything can."

Goten shrugged. "Hey, I'd be happy with anything."

The planchette started to move.

"Hey, knock it off, Bulla," Goten accused with a smile.

"I'm not doing anything!" She frowned truthfully.

"Yes you are, it jerked toward you."

"Looks like… an 'N'," Trunks said.

They watched the planchette with rapt attention.

"'O'." Goten laughed. "Does anyone want to speak to us? 'N-O'. Good one Trunks."

"It wasn't me," Trunks insisted.

"It's still moving," Bulla said.

Slowly, the board continued to speak. 'R'. 'M'. 'A'.

"Who's Norma?" Goten asked.

"Normand," Bulla said, staring at the board.

"What?" Trunks asked.

Goten grabbed Trunks’ arm looking startled. “Trunks, Normand. That was that name your parents said the other day when they were talking about--”

“I told you to let that go, Ten,” Trunks said quietly, his eyes darting over to Bulla.

Just as she was about to jump on his hesitation, they heard a loud pop echo through the house. They froze, staring at each other.

"What was that?" Goten asked.

"It came from the kitchen," Trunks said, jumping up. Bulla rushed just ahead of him and Goten eased himself off the couch, walking slowly after them.

An orange glow shone down the hallway, and Bulla knew what she would find before she even rounded the corner. A beeping noise started as their detectors decided to warn them of what they could already see.

The stove was covered in flames.

Goten grabbed Bulla, pulling her back a few paces as Trunks grabbed a fire extinguisher from the cupboard under the sink. Heavy foam covered the stove and quickly snuffed out the flames, leaving only soot and smoke behind it.

"Who left the stove on?" Goten asked.

Trunks shook his head. "Dude, it's electric. Our electricity is  _ out _ . No one could have left it on."

Bulla frowned. "Something weird is going on here. We need to get out of the house."

Trunks pulled the stove back slightly, using the light from his phone to illuminate the area. "If I can examine it maybe I can figure out why--"

"Give me your phone, Trunks," Bulla said, holding her hand out.

Trunks nodded, handing it over. "Sure, but Mom and Dad weren't answering."

"I'm not calling Mom and Dad," she said, scrolling through his phone.

"That's a good idea," Goten nodded. "You can call  _ my _ Dad. If he answers he can Instant Transmit us out of here."

Bulla waited a long moment for Goku to answer, but he didn't pick up. "Okay, new plan."

"Uh, what plan?" Trunks asked.

The phone connected almost immediately, and Bulla put on her best no nonsense voice. "Hi Miss Chichi. Goten has heat stroke and he's trapped at Capsule Corp where the stove just caught on fire." She hung up.

Trunks snatched his phone. "Bulla, why did you--"

"Because Kakarot didn't answer," she shrugged. "I bet Miss Chichi might get here even faster than he could."

Goten covered his face. "She's going to kill me for not calling her when I got hurt."

"But she'll get us out of the house," Bulla said.

The phone rang, and Trunks winced, turning it off. "Goten, you need to lie down. Chichi's already going to be mad when she gets here, let's not make it worse."

Goten nodded, heading back to the couch.

"Bulla, I'm going to get some tools from my workshop to help me examine the stove," he handed her the fire extinguisher. "If the fire blazes back up, can you put it out?"

"I can handle it," she nodded firmly.

Trunks headed down the hall, leaving Bulla alone in the kitchen.

With the fire out, the kitchen was very dark. The only light came from occasional lightning, shining through two small, thick paneled windows. Bulla had never seen them open in her lifetime, but the smoke was still thick in the air, and she drifted over to them to try.

She peered through the glass.

A shadow moved through the darkness, and she backed up a few inches.

"Who's there?" She said in a threatening voice. "Saiyans live here, we're a bad house to steal from."

The shadow was walking around the house, a tall silhouette with a hidden face. She narrowed her eyes, and her heart beat just a little faster.

"I said who's there?" She said louder.

The figure looked up, hearing her this time. It quickly moved toward her and she felt for the knives in the counter.

"Bulla, Dear Girl, is that you?" A familiar voice said, muffled by the glass. 

"Grandpa?" She asked, confused. 

Dr.Briefs covered his fist with his lab coat and then punched a small panel of glass at the bottom of the window. Bulla jumped, backing away from the small hole he'd made.

"What are you doing here, Grandpa?" She asked 

"Bulla," he said desperately, "you  _ must _ listen to me. It's nearly midnight, we're running out of time."

"Out of time for what?"

He pursed his lips. "Bulla, you  _ must _ get out of the house. You are not alone."

"Trunks and Goten are here."

He slapped the glass. "You  _ cannot _ trust them, either of them. He could be anywhere!"

" _ Who _ , Grandpa?"

The old man sighed. "I've made mistakes in my life, Bulla. I doubt your mother has ever told you this, but… I had a business partner once. His name was--"

"Normand Quesic," Bulla finished. "I read about him on the internet. He disappeared. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Normand… he was a brilliant man," the doctor continued. "A genius, really. But he chose the wrong path. I warned him that Dr.Gero was dabbling in dangerous science, that no good could come of it."

"Gero? The guy who made Eighteen?"

"They were obsessed with altering themselves," he nodded, "living forever at the cost of their own humanity. Of course he was decades ahead of Gero. At first it was just an arm, which he claimed he lost in an accident. I could believe that. But then it was his legs, his lungs, his heart… I didn't know he was altering his brain until it was too late. He crossed a threshold, made himself more machine than man. His decisions turned cold and unfeeling. He stopped caring about humans and wanted Capsule Corp to grow on the backs of 'experimental test subjects', he called them. He would have cost hundreds of people their lives. I couldn't let it happen."

"What… what did you do?"

"All I did was vote him out. I told the board and investors what he was doing, the terrible plans he had, and they did the rest. He was sent away in disgrace, and they threatened to turn him in for the few experiments he'd already run. He blamed me for it all, said I pushed him too hard," the doctor sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps I did."

"Where did he go?"

"He returned to the north to live out his life alone, but he warned me that if I or my business ever dared to enter his territory he'd have his revenge. His body was found a year ago, in a cave fifty miles east of Jingle Village. It was kept quiet, never put in the papers, I saw to that. I wanted him to keep his dignity. But ever since then," he leaned forward, "I hear him, Bulla. Whispering. Warning me that he's coming for me and all I hold precious.”

She twisted her mouth. “Are you sure it’s him?”

He nodded his head insistently. “Sometimes machines just malfunction around me, bots go haywire and perfectly maintained electricals refuse to function. That's why I retired, I thought perhaps he just wanted me out of the business. But now your mother is building company branches near his home..."

"Didn't you warn her?"

"Of course I did," he whispered. "But my Bulma is such a stubborn girl. She doesn't believe in things like curses."

Bulla scoffed. "She's married to an alien."

"An alien she can touch and see and observe," he said. "I tried to get her to listen to me, but I cannot give her proof I do not have." He checked his watch. "Bulla, we must get you out before--"

There was a shout on the other side of the house.

Bulla spun around. Shouldn't Trunks be back by now? "Grandpa, how do I--"

She turned around, but Dr.Briefs was gone.

Bulla ran towards the living room where she'd heard the shout. "Goten?" She called, finding it empty. He didn't answer.

The living room was silent.

"Trunks?" She called. "Did you get your tool box?"

There was no answer.

Her excellent ears picked up a very quiet sound, a low whispering, coming from down the hall. Bulla grabbed a candle for light, deciding she had to check where it was coming from. It was harder to move her feet than she'd expected it to be.

_ I'm not afraid _ , she thought to herself.  _ I'm a Saiyan. We don't get scared. _

The whispering grew louder as she approached the bathroom. She held her ear to the door and heard it a bit louder, but still couldn't quite make it out. She knocked.

"Goten? Trunks? If you guys are making out in there I'm gonna kill you."

She gripped the doorhandle a bit tightly, easing the door open a crack to peak inside.

"Goten?" She asked, recognizing his voice now. She couldn't see him anywhere at first, but the shower curtain moved slightly, and she held the candle in front of her as she approached it. "Are you taking a bath?" She asked. 

He didn't answer, and she slowly moved the curtain to the side. Goten lay fully clothed in the bathtub, curled into a ball, facing away from her. He flinched when her light fell on him, but gave no other indication that he noticed her.

"Goten?" She asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. She felt him shaking. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer, he just kept whispering, very quietly.

She leaned forward, trying to figure out what he kept repeating.

"Don't go in the basement… don't go in the basement… don't go in the basement…"

She backed up, and Goten didn't seem to notice as the darkness of the bathroom covered him again.

"Trunks?" She called. There's something wrong with Goten!"

Nothing.

"Trunks!" She called, planning to head towards his workshop to see what was taking him so long. She made it only a few steps before a frantic knocking came to the front door.

"Goten!" She heard a voice call. 

Bulla ran to the door, putting her ear against the unopenable door. "Miss Chichi? Is that you?"

"Yes!" Chichi yelled back. "Where is Goten? You said he was hurt!"

"He's in the bathtub, I don't know what's wrong with him," Bulla called. "I can't find Trunks, but--"

Chichi screamed suddenly. "Oh my gods, what are you! Stay back!" She screamed again, louder.

"Chichi?" Bulla asked, listening closely. "Chichi, are you there?"

The woman didn't answer. Bulla pounded on the door and waited, but Chichi was gone.

"Trunks!" Bulla called again. She went to the bottom of the stairs and called his name a few times, but got no response.

_ Don't go in the basement…  _ Bulla gulped, slowly walking to the basement steps.

"Trunks, are you down there?" She held the candle in front of her, easing down the stairs.

The basement of Capsule Corp was enormous, but overcrowded. Anything that Bulma or Trunks worked on that got scrapped ended up down here, left to collect dust in case they ever wanted to take it back up. She eased around the piles of junk, careful not to bump into anything. Ahead of her, she saw the main generators of Capsule Corp.

She heard a groan.

Bulla froze, whipping her head to the right. On the ground by her feet, she saw a crumpled figure lying prone.

She knelt down.

"Trunks?" She asked, moving his hair to the side. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to hear her. "What happened? I thought you went to get your tools?"

Across Trunks' head was a gash of blood, and she moved to cover it automatically. Her hand touched it, and she realized it was already dry. Her heart sank.

There was no reason for Trunks to go downstairs for his tools. He hadn't gone to the basement since he went to work on the generators directly in front of them.

Maybe Trunks never came up from the generators.

Then who had been upstairs with her and Goten?

She heard something heavy hit the ground somewhere in the darkness.

She ran.

Bulla ran straight up the stairs, candle wax spilling over her hand. The clock struck midnight.

"Oh, Bulla," a voice called from the basement behind her.

She turned around.

'Trunks' stood at the bottom of the stairs. He was smiling widely, eyes trained on her. Something black spilled down from his mouth.

_ Motor oil _ , she remembered. "Who are you?" She asked.

"It's midnight," he singsonged, slowly moving toward her. "Don't you want to hear my last story?"

Bulla ran to the second floor, heading for her room.

"Once upon a time," the voice called after her. "There was a brilliant man surrounded by fools who lacked vision."

She made it to her bedroom, slamming it behind herself and locking the door.

"No one understood. He  _ improved _ himself. He made himself more than human, and his own partner cast him out in jealousy. He lost  _ everything _ . And now it's time to even the scales."

Bulla pushed her dresser against the door just as something hit it from the outside. She stumbled back, tripping over her foot and falling to the ground by her closet. The candle went out.

"Open the door, Bulla!" Trunks' voice yelled as he pounded on the door.

"Get… get out of my house!" She called warningly. "You… you don't know who I am! I can fight you!"

Her closet door creaked open.

Bulla looked up and saw a hooded figure, staring down at her.

She screamed.

Bulla closed her eyes, covering her face and shrinking in on herself. The room went silent. There was a click, and she saw the house lights turn on through her fingers. She peeked.

Her father was staring down at her with a mild smirk. "Boo."


	5. Chapter 5

_ Exactly one year ago, on Halloween _

Bulma stood at the vanity in their bedroom, taking her hair down in the mirror. A small headband with devil horns was still on her head, and her lips were very red from her demon costume. Vegeta was lying on their bed, eyes occasionally slipping down to watch her. She caught him.

Bulma smirked, looking at him in the mirror. "And what are you thinking about? Hoping I keep my horns on for a little while, maybe?"

He grunted, looking back at the ceiling.

Bulma chuckled. "Oh, come on. Your family loves Halloween, you can at least pretend to enjoy yourself."

"I don't mind the day."

"Really?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Saiyans did not have a day devoted purely to terror. I'm surprised humans managed it."

"Huh," she smiled. "We found another thing you don't hate. I think you're going soft on me in your old age."

"Bulla enjoyed it more last year."

Bulma quirked an eyebrow up at him as she came to lay in bed, leaving only her bedside light on to illuminate the room. "I suppose she did. She says she can't be scared anymore. Poor thing. She seemed pretty disappointed."

Vegeta stayed quiet as she switched off the light and came to lay against his chest. Her eyes got heavy, and she was almost asleep when he spoke again.

"I would like to give Bulla a present."

She snuggled against him. "A present? She already has too many toys."

"Not that kind of present," he smirked. 

\-----------------

_ June _

Goku blinked, tilting his head slightly in confusion. He sat at the dinner table at Capsule Corp with Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks and Goten, but Bulla was nowhere to be seen."But… why are we doing this again?"

Vegeta grumbled, already tired of explaining himself, but Bulma put a hand on his chest to calm him down. "Bulla wants to be scared for Halloween, but she's smart. She's a Briefs, after all. Normal ten-year-old jumpscares aren't enough. We have to plan this out."

"We've already implemented part of the plan," Trunks explained.

"Right," Bulma nodded. "Every minute of Halloween has to be scheduled. I have been talking about a new branch of Capsule Corp we're opening in the north. My Dad is in on it, he's supposed to be against it, and he has a whole script to memorize for Halloween night. We're going to convince Bulla that his old 'business partner' has come back from the mechanical dead to have revenge."

"What businesses partner?" Goku asked.

"He never had one," Trunks grinned. "I made up the name, I'm proud of it. I even posted a fake article about him online under an anagram of my name. Dad will 'accidentally' drop the name, and hopefully she'll look it up. Then later on I get to play him, or at least I get to pretend I'm him wearing a Trunks disguise."

"What'll you do, Goten?" Goku asked.

"I get to be burned and insane," Goten smiled happily. "We figure we have to get rid of Bulma and Vegeta, because she won't be scared with them around. She wouldn't be afraid of a monster with me around either, so we'll pretend the Gravity Room malfunctions on me and Trunks and I are weakened for some reason. Then later I get to scream in the bathtub and get her to go find Trunks knocked out in the basement."

Goku chuckled. "Then what do you need me for?"

Vegeta grimaced. "Unfortunately we need your instant transmission to get in and out of the house once it's on lockdown. Bulla has to think there is someone in the house with them that can move through doors. We may have a few more tasks for you, we have to write you into the plan."

"Hmm," he hummed, rubbing his chin. "You sure she won't be mad at us for tricking her?"

Vegeta snorted. "Unlike some Saiyans, I know my child quite well, Kakarot."

Goku laughed. "I'm in."

_ \--------------- _

_ Halloween Night 4:15 PM _

Vegeta waited outside of their room until just the right moment. He heard a pause and immediately started speaking, walking in like he did not know Bulla was with his wife. "Bulma, your father called again. He won't stop ranting about that 'Normand' fool..."

They let Bulla think she heard something forbidden, arguing with her to not ask questions about Normand Quesic. The girl's back was turned when Goku Instant Transmitted behind her, sticking the picture to the mirror. He gave Vegeta a thumbs up before he popped out again, making the other Saiyan roll his eyes.

\--------

_ Halloween Night 4:25 _

Trunks walked into the house with the sacks of candy he and Goten had bought at the store and went straight to his parents' room. They were getting ready for their fabricated gala, and they were waiting for him.

"Goten's distracting Bulla," Trunks said. "Give me the game."

Bulma pulled the customized Ouija Board out from under her bed, handing it to Trunks. "Move the planchette to 'Hello', and the magnets will start moving it after that. Remember, either you or Goten has to be against buying it. That makes it sound creepier."

"Right," he nodded. He patted his pockets. "I've got the oil capsules here."

"Only open one, I packed a lot in there," Bulma said. Her phone rang, and she picked it up quickly. "Hey, Dad, just in time. Let's go over the plan again."

Trunks turned to his father. "So, Goku got here in time for phase one? He stuck the picture on the mirror?"

Vegeta frowned at him. "This is phase  _ two _ , Boy. Follow the damn schedule!"

"Right, right," Trunks nodded. "Phase one ended after breakfast."

"That's right," Bulma said into the phone. "Just call and we'll make sure it's Bulla who answers. I'll wait about thirty seconds until I grab it from her. Okay, thanks, Dad. Practice your lines for tonight!"

They heard the front door open. Bulma pointed at Trunks. "Get going, you're on."

\----------------------

Goten stood in the Gravity Room, tapping his foot as he watched the clock. The moment it struck 6:05 PM he grabbed his spray bottle, spritzing it across his face and hair and then pouring it over his clothes. Goten brought heated chi into his hands and then laid his palms against the door, heating up the metal so Bulla would be able to feel it if she got too close. He rubbed his face to give it color and waited a beat, and then yelled.

"Trunks, help!"

When Trunks sent Bulla running to the kitchen to get him a bottle of water, Goten, smiled up at Trunks. "Do you think she bought it?"

" _ I _ almost bought it, Ten. You’re good at this. Just remember to look really tired and move slow, okay?"

Goten nodded, grinning. "This is kinda fun."

"Yeah, it kinda is."

\-----------------

_ Halloween Night 7:40 pm _

Vegeta and Bulma stood with Goku outside of Capsule Corp with a small bag of props. Thunder crackled ahead, and it made Goku chuckle again.

"What?" Vegeta snapped at him.

"I just can't believe you guys summoned Shenron to make it  _ rain _ ."

Bulma crossed her arms. "We needed  _ atmosphere _ , Goku. We're Briefs. Go big or go home. Now you know what button to press, right?"

"Yes," he nodded. "It's big and red and you circled it with marker."

Vegeta checked his watch. "If Trunks started the movie on time it should be fine to cut it out in five seconds. Go."

Goku nodded, Instant Transmitting down to the basement. He pressed the button on the generator system Bulma had circled for him, switching off all of the electricity in the house. He popped back out onto the lawn in seconds.

Vegeta moved towards the front door, pressing his ear against it. "Now we wait for Trunks' signal. Goten will be convincing Bulla he's claustrophobic, and Trunks will go downstairs to try to 'fix' the generators."

"So the front door isn't really stuck?" Goku asked, peering at it.

"I'm not an idiot, Goku," Bulma chuckled. "Of course we have backups to escape the house if we need to, if electricity goes down the outer doors unlock and lose their seal. But Bulla won't know that."

Trunks thumped once quietly on the inside of the door, the signal that he was heading downstairs and the knocking could start in thirty seconds.

Vegeta watched the time, and when exactly thirty seconds had passed he shushed the other two, knocking hard on the door. It was a good minute before they heard Bulla on the other side, asking who was there and telling them they'd have to come back later.

Vegeta was persistent, knocking louder until he was pounding on the door.

"Who's there? Who can't take no for an answer?" Bulla snapped, and Vegeta snorted proudly. It was good to know she sounded like a Saiyan even when facing an unknown adversary.

Bulma knelt near the door, spilling a Capsule-full of motor oil through the open seal at the bottom of it.

They listened to Trunks come up behind Bulla, and Vegeta got into position, holding the door closed from outside. Trunks pretended to struggle to open it, and then Bulla genuinely tried it, but Vegeta overpowered her easily.

When the attempts to open the door stopped Vegeta stepped back, dusting off his hands. "Okay. Now they tell scary stories and put her into a false sense of security for a while. You have the explosives, Woman?"

Bulma smirked. "Duh."

\-----------------

_ Halloween Night, The Final Hour _

At the exact moment the clock struck eleven, Goku Instant Transmitted into the kitchen. He placed four  _ mild _ explosives (Bulma insisted they call them that) on the electric stove exactly where she had told him to in order to avoid real danger. He set them off, and then disappeared back outside.

Vegeta had changed into a robe that Bulma insisted was scary. She cinched the tie around his waist, looking up when Goku appeared. "All set?"

"Yep, should go off in a few minutes," Goku nodded.

"What about you, Dad?" Bulma asked the newcomer. "Are you ready to tell _ 'The Definitely True Story of Normand Quesic _ '?"

Dr.Briefs frowned. "I thought it was made up? Oh dear, was Normand real? I can't remember him at all…"

Bulma sighed. "I was just kidding, Dad. He's not real. But you remember the story?"

"Oh, yes," he nodded excitedly.

"Trunks will tell Bulla he's going to get his tools, and then text us when you should approach the kitchen window."

Not much time had passed when Goku's phone rang. He checked it, about to answer. "Oh, it's just Trunks--"

Vegeta slapped the phone out of his hand. " _ No _ phone calls, remember? That's not Trunks, it's Bulla. She's intelligent enough to call you if her mother and I do not answer."

"Oh, right," he laughed nervously.

A long moment passed without a text from Trunks. They waited, and finally Vegeta's phone buzzed. He opened the text, expecting to give his father-in-law the go ahead to head towards the kitchen, but he froze.

"What's wrong, Vegeta?" Bulma asked carefully.

"Trunks just texted me. Bulla called Kakarot's wife."

Goku's eyes went wide. "Chichi? Why?"

"She wanted an adult that would rush over, so she told The Harpy that Goten was injured and in danger." He was smirking despite himself. "Damn. I may have underestimated her tactical survival skills. Impressive."

"Does Chichi know about the plan?" Bulma asked.

"Uh… no," Goku said, looking nervous. "I wasn't sure if she'd like it or not, so I just told her I was spending time with Goten tonight."

Vegeta looked ready to curse him out, but another text came through. "That's the signal. Get to the kitchen window," he said, pointing to Bulma's father. " _ You _ ," he snapped at Goku, "go deal with your wife before she ruins everything! We are in the final stretch!"

"I've got it, I've got it, I just have to lock onto her energy signal. It's a little hard to find because it's small but--"

"Go. And be back here before Bulla reaches the basement."

\----------------------------

Chichi was speeding down the road in her small red car, not much caring about the fact that it was dark or that she didn't technically have a licence. Goku hadn't answered her calls all night, and now Goten was in danger at Capsule Corp. If she had needed to run the distance between them on bare feet she'd have done it in a heartbeat. 

Chichi rounded a curb, and suddenly there was a large shape in the road that hadn't been there before. She screamed, not even having enough time to swerve before her car rammed into it. She closed her eyes, waiting for pain or the sound of crunching metal, but it didn't come.

She opened her eyes and looked around, realizing her car had teleported about ten feet to the side. The figure she thought she had hit was standing in front of the car, holding it easily up in the air. She peered into the headlights.

"Goku? Is that you?"

"Hey, Chi, I had to Instant Transmit us a bit when the car touched my hand so you didn't take any impact. Are ya' alright?"

"Am I… oh, yes, but Goten isn't! Quickly, get me to Goten right now!"

"Hang on, Chi, put the car in park."

Goku eased the car down and it settled on its wheels. He came around to the passenger side and got in, placing a hand on Chichi's shoulder. She closed her eyes like she thought he was about to take them to Goten, but they didn't budge.

"Uh, here's the thing, Chichi. Goten is fine."

"No, Bulla called, she said--"

"I know," he laughed nervously. "Me and Goten are helping Bulla's family pull a little prank on her tonight. She got nervous because we wouldn't answer our phones, so she called you. But no one is  _ really _ in danger. I'm sorry you got scared."

Chichi crossed her arms, and Goku prepared to hear it for helping to scare a little girl. He didn't expect what she said instead.

"And you didn't  _ include _ me?"

"Huh?"

"I love Halloween, Goku, you know that. You and Goten went off to have a great big spooky adventure and didn't ask me to help?"

"I… I didn't think you'd like us scaring Bulla."

Chichi laughed. "She's ten, but she's a  _ Saiyan _ ten. She'll be fine. Now take me to Capsule Corp."

"But… Goten is okay, I swear."

She smirked. "Right. But if you didn't think I'd help with a prank, there's no  _ way _ Bulla thinks I would. I bet I can make her think I showed up just in time to get brutally murdered."

Goku grinned. "I love you, Chi."

\-----------------------------

Goku appeared back on the lawn just as Bulla was finding Goten in the bathtub. Chichi went to the front door to distract her as she went by, and Goku grabbed Vegeta and Bulma's arms, taking them immediately to hide in Bulla's room. Then he ITed down to the basement for his final task.

Trunks was waiting for him, carefully applying a fake wound to the side of his head and laying down on the floor by the generators. He jumped slightly when Goku appeared, then let out a sigh of relief. "Cutting it close."

"I know," Goku whispered, hiding behind a stack of electronics.

Trunks laid still until Bulla came downstairs with her candle. Once Goku thought she realized Trunks had 'never come upstairs', he tossed a piece of metal against a wall.

She started running.

\-------------------

_ 12:03 AM, Halloween Night _

"Daddy?" Bulla asked, staring up in disbelief.

"Did you get it, Woman?" Vegeta asked the curtains by Bulla's bed.

Bulma stepped out of the curtains, holding her phone in front of her, smiling broadly. "Yep."

Bulla blinked up at her parents. "What… what…"

Bulma unlocked the door, and Trunks easily pushed it open. There was still motor oil on his face, but he grinned through it. "We totally got you, Kid."

" _ What _ ?"

Vegeta leaned down and took her hand, helping her to stand. "You said you wanted to be scared for Halloween. I'd say we accomplished the task."

Bulla stared at Trunks. "But… Trunks is unconscious in the basement. That's Normand Quesic."

"Nope," Trunks grinned. 

"But I heard two people down there!"

There was a pop and then Goku was sitting on her bed with Chichi. He waved. "Hi, Bulla! How did you like your surprise?"

"But... but Goten is--"

Goten leaned his head around the corner, waving at her. "I'm fine, Bulla."

"And apparently a great actor," Trunks smiled at him.

"Don't kiss me until you clean off the oil. Yuck."

Bulla held up her hands. "But… everything? Everything that happened tonight was fake? But what about Normand Quesic? Grandpa said that--"

"Here I am, Dear," Dr.Briefs said, stepping into her room. "I hope you didn't mind us having a bit of fun."

Bulla stared at them all. Then she started laughing. She jumped in place, a wild grin on her face.

"I got scared! I got scared for real! Oh my gods, my hands are still shaking, look!" She announced, holding her hands out. "This is the best Halloween ever! I got scared!"

They smiled, listening to her recount a few different moments throughout the night, asking how they pulled it off.

"You're the best family ever!" She shrieked.

"It was your father's idea," Bulma informed her.

Bulla hugged his legs. "Thanks, Dad."

"Happy Halloween, Bulla."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the show and episode I was inspired from was 'The Hauntening' from Bob's Burgers, where Louise's family tricks her on Halloween night to help her actually feel scared. I love parallels between Louise and Bulla, they are so fun to write. Happy Halloween, everyone!
> 
> EBK


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